1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to truck mud flap stiffener devices, and more particularly, to a support bracket which prevents a mud flap mounted behind the wheels of a truck or trailer from sailing due to wind and water or mud forces as the vehicle moves down the road.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A major problem for truck drivers and trucking companies, particularly those which must operate in wet weather, is the need to prevent water, mud, and road debris, such as road stones and other solid articles, from being thrown into the front ends and windshields of vehicles which on occasion closely follow truck traffic. This problem has traditionally been handled by means of a mud flap, but this apparatus, in its original form, has been pushed to the limit of its effectiveness by a combination of factors, the most prominent of which is the high speed at which truck traffic now travels.
A mud flap is usually an elongated flexible piece of generally rectangular waterproof material which is disposed in a position behind the wheels or tires of a truck and/or its trailer(s). In its cheapest form, a mud flap is made of rubber, but to resist deterioration caused by road surface oil, a more expensive rubber material such as neoprene can be used which is oil resistant. The mud flap is positioned so as to hang down behind the tires and intercept the water, mud, road stones, and other items which might be thrown off of the truck or trailer tires in a rearward direction. This problem must be attended to by the truck owners as a matter of courtesy, safety, and financial consideration to prevent damage and possibly injury to the vehicles which follow trucks and their occupants. It is probably more likely that this problem is dealt with because it is required by law or because it might result in liability for damages.
The characteristics which result in the best material for a mud flap are those inherent in rubberized sheeting. Such a material can absorb shook and distortion and does not deteriorate by exposure to the natural elements. However, its characteristic of being flexible also permits it to sail out of its effective operating position located behind a tire due to turbulent wind forces from passing traffic, and water and mud spray, and simply as a result of traveling down the road at high speed. One solution obviously is to increase the thickness or stiffness of the material, but this solution causes an increased manufacturing cost and generally a less effective item than is desired.
As a result, a preferred solution which allows proper positioning of the mud flap and yet provides it with the preferred resilience is to support it with a bracket which limits the movement of the mud flap in response to these various forces while permitting the very flexible nature and advantages of the deformable mud flap to be employed or utilized while yet restraining its movement to the preferred location behind the tire.
Generally, the support brackets which have been employed for this purpose are made of welded rod which are of fixed configuration, light weight, and provide, at their lower end, encircling or partially encircling structure for containing the lower end of the mud flap.
The problem with these prior art devices is that they are not adjustable to different sized mud flaps or for supporting the mud flap at variable vertical locations along its length, and they are light weight whereby they do not provide any ballast to the flap, they are generally unattractive, and they are of fixed configuration whereby they cannot be disassembled for packaging in a small container for shipping. The present invention provides numerous advantages over the prior art in that it is highly adaptable to different sized mud flaps, provides a low weighted structure for ballast, has an aesthetically pleasing design, and allows positioning of the mud flap motion restrictor and ballast at variable vertical locations along the bottom end of the mud flap. Very importantly, it is constructed of a multiple of simple pieces which can be disassembled for packaging in the smallest possible container for shipping, and manufactured for the least possible cost.